12 THE MASTER KEY By John Fleming Wilson ap«cln! tfranjemwrt for thl* ptocr • photo-drun cormponding to the tactailmeots of "The Muter Key" may no* be teen at the leading mo*, tag iikluw* theater*. By arrangement made with the Unhrenal dim Manufacturing company tt It not only pouible to •nd "The Master Key" in thb paper, but alio alter, ward to tee moving picture* aI our ttory. COPYRIGHT, 1014, BY JOHN FLEMING WILSON Unhappily for the girl, Everett was] called out of town. And so when he found himself forced to make a hur ried trip to San Francisco her predica ment became the more pronounced. The false Everett. George Drake, took It upon himself to call at the lUtz for her mall, and, returning with word that there was none for her, Ruth felt a »t range premonition that matters were not progressing as they should. Mrs. Darnell found her gazing out of the drawing room window, huddled In [ a pathetic little heap, dejection stamp- j ed on features and form. "Dearie," purred the hostess, "you look as if you had lost your last friend on earth. Do cheer up. What la the trouble?" Ruth tarned her head, but remained In the same queer little attitude, reply ing in a plaintive voice: "I do not understand why Mr. Dorr has not written or wired me. Really, Mrs. Darnell. I am beginning to fear that something has happened to him." Mrs. Darnell looked at her searchlng ly, but recovered quickly under the questioning return gaze. "Do not worry, Ruth. Everything will come out all right. Supposing we take a drive. The air and sunshine will do you a world of goo 4" Every minute was one of delight to the unsophisticated girl, and each new sight and vista opened a new world ■to atoi»"at Grant's tomb they speeded downtown, reaching Columbus circle after a run through Central park. A j blowout of one of the tires caused a : delay. Ruth tired of sitting In the, car, and, jumping out, she spied a flor- j lst's window. Before Mrs. Darnell, could think of the possibility of a mis carriage of her well laid plans the girl was inside. She purchased violets foi both and was on her way out when she saw a telephone. Intuitively, rath er than from any other motive, she hastily called up Mr. Everett's office. To her amazement she learned that he had gone west. Her news was even more startling to Mrs. Darnell than it had been to Ruth. Quick action was needed, and, leaving Ruth In the car with a pre varicated excuse, the older women was soon phoning to Drake, telling him to go west at once and Instructing him to meet them In San Francisco, where he was to pose as Everett and continue carrying out the plot to secure posses sion of Ruth's mining property. And thns it came about that Ave days later found them in the metrop olis of the Pacific coast, where they were met by Drake, still posing as Ev erett The greatest difficulty lay In reconcil ing Ruth's mind to the mystery of Everett's sudden departure after she had seen him at Mrs. Darnell's the ] .night before. But the cleverness of """ Ruth Spied a Florist's Window. 'the schemer counterbalanced all doubts, and the girl was therefore persuaded to hasten to San Francisco to carry out her plans. Accordingly she wired Dorr, but again "the wires crossed," for, al though he learned that she was go ling to the western city, he again learn .ed that Everett had failed to connect with her. / Ruth had been getop its regular beat. Alone In his cabin he pored over it as if there must be some hidden meaning beneath ;the words. It was unbelievable. Aft er all his pain and his very careful forethought for her comfort and safe ty something had gone wrong. Ev erett was brief: San Francisco, April I. John Dorr, Silent Valley, Cal.: Have been unable to find Miss Gallon, i EVERETT. For awhile his mind refused to work logically. All that he could think of was little Ruth Gallon, she of the slen der liauds and pure eyes, lost in the pre&t city and piteously seeking a fa miliar face. But he pulled himself vig orously together and called up the lament at the station. "Bill," he said over the telephone. "This la Dorr. I want to get a wire through to Ban Francisco." j "All right John: what Is It?' John thought a moment and then dic tated this message: {Charlea Everett. Call Building, San Fran cisco: Mtas Gallon was to have gone to the St pYanciii, aa 1 wired you before. DORR. WEDNESDAY EVENING, ttARRISBURG TELEGRAPU DECEMBER 16, 1014 After moiling over the problem he : felt that he must confide in some one. Of all the men in the mine he trusted only Tom Kane. He strode down the bill to the cook shanty and found the old man engaged In his task of prepar- I ing the noonday meal. "Look here, Tom," John said ab ruptly, holding out the telegram. "I haven't said anything before, but Ruth is lost. In San Francisco. I've wired j Everett before. He can't find her." Without a word the cook reached I for the yellow slip and read it slowly, j He glanced up and said with the ut- ! most simplicity, "I reckon you'd bet ter catch this evening's express." "But my work here—somebody has j got to look after the mine and Wllker- | son"— Tom Kane glanced at him and titer. I at the bit of paper. "1 know how you { feel," he muttered, "but I've cooked 1 years enough to know that if you leave j Something Had Gone Wrong. things on the fire they'll burn. This business wont wait." He smiled mag nificently. "And yon just leave this to me. I've been here since the mine started, and I guess I can attend to 11 from cook shauty to Wllkorson. The main thing is to find Ruth. I know • she's safe, for nobody would hurt that little girl. But you've got to go to j Frisco and help her. Likely she's | found herself pretty much a stranger I I got lost in New Orleans once, and 1 j reckon Frisco Is bigger." "I'll go," said Dorr promptly. "I'll j leave my papers and my new plans in i your charge. Tom." The old man laid his warm hand oe ! John's arm. "New plans?" he whis- j pered. "Have you found the mothet i lode? Don't say anything to Wllker son." "But he Is the superintendent?" "Not of this shanty. I never trust | an egg until I've brokcp It." • ••••*• In Harry Wilkerson's dark heari there was what he might in his twist ed vocabulary have termed happiness. His plans were working out to perfec tion. Jean Darnell had wired again that all was well and that she would have news for him in a few days. This meant that she and George Drake hadj done their part But he wondered why j it was that John Dorr, who must cer-; talnly be anxiously awaiting word from Ruth, neither said anything not displayed a sign of Impatience. It did not escape him that Tom Kane and the young engineer were in con sultation several times. What were they planning? He determined tc I probe boldly. When Dorr came Into the office in the afternoon and began tc clear up his desk Wllkerson asked quietly, "What's the news from Sat! Francisco? Has Ruth wired?" John had been expecting this per- j fectly natural question and was ready with his answer: "Everything seems to be all right" ! "Good!" said the superintendent dry-1 ly. "I'd like to get started on that! new lead pretty soon." He could not ■ repress a sour smile. "Since the old rate of wages has been restored I guess you and I may have to do with out our salaries for awhile." John looked up and caught himself, j He was in no position to quarrel with 1 this man. "Fay the men first of j course," he said. He proceeded to get Into a package of blueprints and mem- j oranda. "Going to move?" suggested Wllker- j son. "I'm going for a trip, and I thought I'd look over my notes In the mean while," was the response. Wilkerson said no more. He went on the alert. From Bill Tubbs he learned that Dorr was going to run into either ( Valle Vista or Silent Valley with the > motor truck. The superintendent of the "Master 1 Key" belonged to the type that Is cat like in its quickness of action, based \ on Intuition rather than on reason, j While Ruth Gallon was carefully con cealed. it was more than possible that Dorr would so stir things up with the aid of Everett that all plans to seize control of the mine's stock would be futile. He must not be allowed to go to San Francisco [To be Continued Friday] Try Telegraph Want Ads. AND TERMS r CW I Stool, Scarf, Tuning and Delivery] i I ATTENTION PIANO BUYERS: V??' Elc - " I & & l 111 To-morrow is the day. This store will be jammed with customers from early morning till late at night. We will cut the El / fIJ mil W\ \V\m I II prices still further as a final effort to close out this enormous stock. Come here bright and earlV 4 Bring a few Dollars H ' mi 'miuwrtV \WW \ I along with you. Any advertised price buys a Piano, (ilance over the values listed in this paper to-day. Can you resist iSII / WWw I the temptation to buy? Come in anyway. Look these instruments over. An opportunity like tliis presents itself about ' / / iKw\ \\\v* 111 once in a lifetime. This sale is apt to close at anv moment. Nothing will prevent us from selling these instruments. I %'t / /Vt \\\u\\\ 1 /l Nothing should prevent you from being here. YOU ARE NOT UNDER ANY OBLIGATIONS TO BUY UNLESS ■ II ' I YOU SEE THE P!ANO YOU WANT. a ' S t ' ie Ever Offered NEW PIANOS S9B, sllO, slls, $l2O up. PLAYER PIANOS REDUCED $l9O, $175, S2OO AIN APPEAL TO MOTHERS MR. RIAINO PURCHASER The biggest problem you have Co contend with t<»-da.v is the demoralizing influence or JoL Whttt became or the money you have earned in the past six months. YOl SPENT the ilance hall and the street congregationscrowtls. KKKI* YOL'R BOYS AXD GIRLS IT- SO.MKBODY ELSE PUT IT IN THE HANK. Why do you let the other fellow AT HOME. (iHe them the pro|>er amusement and entertainment at home and they save what you earn? Why don't yt>u Invest a pari ol your earnings in the purchast will not seek it outside. Buy a Piano Tor them at this great sale. Start them on a B ° r a I'iano for the promotion of your home comfort anil happiness? Wliy don't you musical education now. This act on your part will stand out In their minds as a H take advantage ol this wonderful Piano Sale.' Book at the Pianos. .'' v'w'iii , . .. ... , ~ ■ and the terms advertised In to-day's paper. We guarantee an actual savhiK of SIOO living monument to you when you urc dead and gone. It will probably require ■ „„ ully ,», allo ollr establishment. i» av a few dollars down. We will deliver the some sacHlice on your part. But the deed will justify the act. THERE IS LOGIC H Piano Into your home Immediately. It will become a pari of your estate as much as AND SENTIMENT IN THIS. THINK IT OVER. the Insurance policy you carry or the home that we hope you own. THINK IT OVER. 'We Will Prepay the Freight to Tl7 TTW HP "K 1 1? PT A ¥fi ' We Will Pay Your Railroad Any Section of the United WW JLX'C JL JLrfl jOL JL X2&ll V/ Fare Both Ways If You States Irrespective of Distance 23 N. 4th St., Harrisburg, Pa. H. M. Eldridge, Mgr. Purchase Your Piano Here DEMANDS MADE FOR COAL By Associated Press Reading. Dec. IB.—A great and ur gent demand for coal set In all along the Reading system to-day because of the cold weather. This was the cold mercury was down to ten degrees above zero in this city, and along the Blue mountains it was 2 to 5 below zero. Many sections of this county are enjoying excellent sleighing. <;(IVES A TAFFY PULL Miss Grace Sprout Is Hostess to Some of Her Friends Miss Grace M. Sprout gave a taffy pull at her home, U2B South Twen tieth-and-a-half street, with music, dancing and cards among the social diversions. A buffet supper, with can dies for the last course, was served to Miss Naoini Michael. Miss Ruth AVle land. Miss Clara Neely, Miss Lillian Stauffer, Miss Grace M. Sprout, Miss Mary E. Wolf, of Shippensburg: 3VHH» Gertrude Manmlller, of Heading: Mr.' and Mrs. Warren lloudman, Mr. un